Another Wednesday in December, another Christmas video from Orion's Reign...only this time, I have a new video for you!
Minniva is back on the vocals for this rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, with plenty of high-octane power metal vocals to spare. Everyone is rocking out to a festive backdrop, and just looks like they are having so much fun! There is imagery of Santa flying in his sleigh on a snowy night...honestly, I don't know how one can listen to Orion's Reign and not get into the holiday spirit; I suppose it is possible, but they probably don't like Christmas music anyway. As for those of us who love metal and love Christmas music, Orion's Reign has got you covered.
I hope everyone has enjoyed my forays into Christmas music so far, because there's more to be had! It is the season for sharing, right?
Once again, Wednesdays focus on Orion's Reign, whose power metal-infused renditions of classic Christmas carols have become a favorite of mine at this time of year. Their videos are also of a fun and light-hearted nature, making these festive tunes even merrier.
Like last week's video, this one is a couple of years old, but Christmas music is timeless, so the shelf life of a music video shouldn't matter too much.
The video for “Deck the Halls” begins with the band setting up their gear in the middle of a forest. Ladies in lovely dresses sit on the grass, trying on flower crowns. After working so hard, one of the bandmembers stops to relax at a nearby tree. As he appears to drift into dreams, the music starts. The ladies stop to look at the band, headbanging in the middle of the forest. At first they seem stunned, then curious, and before long, they are smiling. They follow the sound of the music, hiding behind trees as they watch in awe. As they tiptoe around the wooded areas, it is clear to see that they are fairies, and with one wave of their magic wands, the guitars turn into giant candy canes! The magic wand is brandished a few more times, and before long, the band is “decked” out in red and green, dressed as merry elves as the fairies dance around them and join in the fun.
Was it a bit of Christmas magic, or simply the dreams of a tired musician? You'll just have to watch for yourself.
For more information on Orion's Reign, visit their official website.
I always like writing about talent from my home state, and when it comes to metal, Northern California has never lacked when it comes to producing quality music. Whether it was the thrash movement of the ’80s, or the variety of bands from the hair metal of Tesla to the nu-metal of the Deftones, the Bay Area and its surrounding vicinity has always been amply represented. Whatever metal subgenre you are into, chances are that there's a metal band somewhere in Northern California that is filling that musical need.
Case in point: Niviane, from Sacramento, who describe their music as “the new breed of American power metal”. Influenced more by the melodic aggression of bands like Iced Earth and less by the soaring theatrics of old-school power metal such as Blind Guardian, Niviane does not compromise either musicality nor heaviness. Fronted by the voice of Norman Skinner (aka “The Metal Chameleon”, due to his ability to seamlessly switch from brutal growls to harmonious clean vocals), Niviane is taking the best of new and old power metal sounds, and putting their own spin on it.
In the lyric video for “The Druid King”, Niviane plays into the dark, foreboding imagery that is familiar within power metal, such as a tree in a misty forest, guarded by a hooded figure which is undoubtedly the song title's namesake. Little flames flicker, and then the words scroll across the screen on a dark gray backdrop, giving descriptive verse to the visuals we see.
I admit, before writing this review, Amberian Dawn was one of the many bands out there on the symphonic metal scene that I had heard of in passing, but had not actually listened to. That might come as a surprise to many who know me, considering my penchant for Finnish metal bands. But as many bands as Finland produces, I suppose one could not blame me for not knowing about them all, or maybe I can be excused for not knowing about every band in Finland because I am not exactly Finnish! So many bands, so little time, right? That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! Onward.
Since I didn’t know anything about this band when I was approached to review their latest album, I did a little reading up about them, and learned a fun fact: they are huge stars among the Rock Band game community, having contributed more songs to the games than any other band. As both a metalhead and a video game enthusiast, I think that is pretty cool info, but it still told me little about the band’s music itself. Because I was new to the band’s music, I figured it was probably best to start with the most recent material, so my judgment was not clouded by anything in the band’s past catalog.
I find Amberian Dawn’s sound to be quite enjoyable; they have a great symphonic metal sensibility while also infusing elements of pop, hard rock, and melodic metal. The band’s vocalist, Capri, has a gritty roughness to her voice that reminds me of ’80s vocalists like Bonnie Tyler or Alannah Myles, but she can also belt out the gorgeous high notes whenever she has a mind to. However, I rather like that she doesn’t fall back on the sweet, angelic vocal styling that is so common among bands in the genre these days. There is churning metal aggression, layered with atmospheric harmonies, bouncy hooks, soaring riffs, and majestic elegance.
Whether it’s more straight-up rock songs like “I’m the One”, poppy melodies like “Sky is Falling” or “Ghostwoman”, power metal theatrics like “Abyss” or “Luna my Darling”, haunting gothic ballads like “Breathe Again” or the album’s closer (subtitled “Darkness of Eternity”), Amberian Dawn runs the gamut of different sounds while still maintaining a solid, identifiable sound. While there are elements of their music that clearly place them in a power/symphonic metal genre, I am hard-pressed to say they sound like any particular band or sound out there. They have a knack for playing to their genre just enough to be categorized, but are doing enough differently that no one could mistake them as a copycat of another band. It’s nice to discover a new band (or new to me, anyway) and hear something that is not instantly reminiscent of someone else (that I know of).
I look forward to going more into Amberian Dawn’s back catalog and hearing how the rest of it holds up to Darkness of Eternity. As for the rest of you, enjoy the new album!
Ever since her controversial split with Nightwish over 5 years ago, Anette Olzon has been somewhat of a ‘dark horse’ on the music scene: no one really knew what to expect from her after departing from the band that made her famous, and the loyal fans she had amassed during her brief 5-year stint in the band did not allow her to stay silent, even when it seemed she wanted to do just that during those first few months after the breakup. Musically, Anette has not done much outside of her solo album in 2014, which was a pop/adult contemporary-based project that she had been working on as far back as 2009, and was as far removed from the sound of Nightwish as anyone could expect. It was no secret that Anette stumbled into the metal world upon joining the band, and that she came from more of a pop/AOR background. However, it was through a metal band that most of her fans found her, and many of them still wanted to hear what she would do in a heavier vein.
Enter Jani Liimatainen, former guitarist of Sonata Arctica, and current guitarist of Cain’s Offering, a band featuring another vocalist from a prominent Finnish band (Timo Kotipelto of Stratovarius). If you know your Nightwish history, you know that Nightwish and Sonata Arctica have had close ties to one another over the years, so perhaps it was not too much of a stretch of the imagination to guess that former bandmembers of these two bands would find each other and collaborate together. Maybe they wanted to stick it to their old bands? Who knows? After all, success is the best form of revenge!
Yet, if getting even with their old bandmates was not their initial purpose for joining together musically, the project that became The Dark Element quickly became the most anticipated new album among fans in both camps, and among the symphonic and power metal scene. This was the heavy style of music Anette’s fans wanted to hear more of from her, and people were curious to hear how her voice would work with Jani’s signature guitar work.
From the opening title track, The Dark Element starts off running, with catchy, poppy melodies woven into dark gothic and electronic sounds. There is no denying that on songs like the title track, “Dead to Me”, “My Sweet Mystery” and “Last Good Day”, that you can hear the Nightwish influence in the music. But there is just as much there that is instantly reminiscent of Sonata Arctica or Cain’s Offering—in fact, much of the album sounds like an experiment in what Cain’s Offering might sound like with a female singer; some good examples are “The Ghost and the Reaper”, “Halo” and “I Cannot Raise the Dead” (hmm, seems to be a pattern among those titles there!). That being said, Anette’s stamp is on this album too—the album closer “Only One Who Knows Me” easily sounds like something from her Alyson Avenue days, “Here’s to You” is rooted in AOR influences and the songs “Someone You Used to Know” and “Heaven of Your Heart” are gentle ballads that would have fit perfectly on her solo album.
The Dark Element is a solid album, from start to finish. Even if you are not familiar with the music from either Anette Olzon or Jani Liimatainen, if you are a fan of power metal, female vocals or hooky pop or electronic elements within metal music, you might want to give it a listen. Fans of Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius and Cain’s Offering are sure to enjoy this already. This is the type of album that Anette’s fans have been waiting for since she left Nightwish, so they will not be disappointed! There may be some aspects to it that are lacking in regards to their former bands, but if you don’t go into it expecting an exact sound-alike of those bands, you will be pleasantly surprised. The influences are there, but clearly The Dark Element is trying to carve out its own identity, which they have done brilliantly. Whether this is just a one-off project or if this is going to evolve into a full-time band with future albums to come, this merger between two components of Finnish metal’s biggest titans is a surefire winner and a worthy addition to your music collection.
Admittedly, there has been a bit of a pattern here lately, and hopefully this is a precursor of better things to come at this blog; meaning that it will become more commonplace to begin spotlighting more international acts for this feature. (Hey, as much as I love to showcase the independent bands, I also want to draw more traffic here so that many people can learn about those lesser-known artists in the first place!)
As I did last Friday with my review of The Dark Element, I am once again reviewing a new video from another band that I have written about within the last month. Releasing their second single in time for their album release on Friday, Serenity has another new video, this time for the song “United”.
Truth be told, I look forward to any opportunity to write about Serenity, because I absolutely love their music. I regret that the start of this feature last year happened only after the last video for their previous album was released, because I would have gladly reviewed all of them. Over the last 2 years, Serenity has quickly earned a spot among my most favorite bands, which says a lot in regards to how much I love their music. Quite frankly, I think they are one of the best symphonic metal bands out there, and don't feel they get nearly as much attention or recognition as I believe they deserve. Then again, this is why I write music reviews, so that maybe (in some small way) I can help bring attention to all of this great music!
That being said, on to the video! Aesthetically, “United” has the same look and feel as the “Lionheart” video, which suggests that perhaps Lionheart is a sort of concept album, or that there are some connecting threads throughout the songs. The “United” video picks up right where the “Lionheart” video left off, even though on the album, the song order is reversed.
When the video begins, we see the soldiers in full armor, brandishing sword and shield, prepared to follow King Richard Lionheart to war. The darkened cave also makes a return, only this time it is more of a performance video, and what a show they put on for this rallying war cry of an anthem! The royal standard is proudly unfurled behind them, as great bursts of flame blast in front of them in a remarkable pyrotechnic display. What a great way to give the viewer a feel of what it must be like at a Serenity concert, right? All of this is going on, and we are not but a little more than 30 seconds into the video...then, to make things more interesting, there's a guy swallowing fire and spitting out flame! Come to think of it, there is a lot of fire in this video, but it fits perfectly with the frenetic pace of the song. It is a fiery, passionate song, with a guitar solo that is positively smoking! Needless to say, an abundant display of pyro is an appropriate visual for such a fierce track.
In music, there are certain lyrical themes that are just tailor-made for a particular genre; the two elements gelling together so perfectly that one is oftentimes unsure whether one depends on the other in order to flourish.
For example, because symphonic metal is so steeped in classical music influences, historical themes within the lyrics are almost a given. Just hearing the orchestra or choirs instantly hearken imagery of the Renaissance, of lords, ladies, and gallant knights. The two are so intertwined that it would be difficult to determine whether the sound influences the lyrics, or the historical themes influences the music! Of course, the fantasy element is also a huge component of symphonic metal's lyrical content, but that is another discussion for another time!
Within the symphonic metal scene, credit is often given to the band Sabaton for being the premier historical experts, and there is no denying that their moniker of “History Channel Metal” is not undeserved. However, if any one band was next in line to the throne at the metal historical society, I would give a strong nod to Austria's Serenity: a band who wrote a concept album about the life of Leonardo da Vinci; whose songs feature titles such as “Legacy of Tudors”, “The Chevalier”, and the latest song I am reviewing today, “Lionheart”. (It should probably be mentioned here that the band's frontman, Georg Neuhauser, is a history teacher, which is one reason the band knows its material so well!)
Based on Richard I, the song's namesake, the video for “Lionheart” tells the story of Richard's oath to take up the cross and lead the Kings' Crusade into Jerusalem. At this point, as I am no history expert, I am merely going to make observations on the video itself, and the history buffs reading this can figure out what the imagery means.
The video starts with Georg (presumably in the title role) climbing up a craggy, rocky hill, armed with sword and shield, bearing the royal standard. The band plays inside a cave (again, presumably inside the rocky mountainside shown in the video), faces and arms coated with dirt and dust, as if they have been unearthed after years in the mountain. Georg (as himself) sings the lyrics as a large cross looms behind him, emphasizing the religious angle to this tale of old.
The camera alternates between scenes with Georg as Richard the Lionheart, and shots of the band playing in the dark cave. As “Richard” enters the darkened corridor, he kneels before a woman dressed in white, wearing a crown of thorns (spiritual symbolism, perhaps?), moving before him as he looks on in awe. Before long, she is seen wearing almost nothing (more symbolism?), as Lionheart makes his way to the summit, the royal standard waving proudly in the wind.
For more information on Serenity, or to pre-order their new album Lionheart (out on October 27th), visit their official website.
As many bands from Italy that I have reviewed here on this blog, I have only visited France one other time before this week's entry; which is a bit of a shame, because France has produced some pretty solid music from what I have heard. One thing about the French metal scene that I like (again, just based on the bands I have heard) is that they have this exceptional skill at combining genres that, in theory, do not sound as though they belong together; yet when they blend these sounds, it creates something so cool and unique that you wonder why more bands don't try their hand at such musical concoctions.
For example, the band I am reviewing this week is a band from Paris called Polarys, who describes their sound as “futuristic prog-power metal”, mixed with thrash elements and guttural vocals. A visit to the band's Facebook shows a list of their major musical influences, two among them being Slayer and Dream Theater. Come to think of it, those two bands might be a good way to describe the music of Polarys: imagine if Dream Theater and Slayer had a child together, and Polarys would be it.
In their latest video for the song “Trapped in the Hub”, Polarys gives viewers a glimpse into their “futuristic prog-power metal” world: the band performs in what looks like an engine control room, or some sort of underground holding cell (literally “trapped in the hub”?). Some smoke and lighting tricks give an eerie feel, and well-placed camera angles suggest that something is watching through the dark crevices, as they look above them for an escape route.
A couple months back, I wrote about the Pennsylvanian band MindMaze, who are one of my favorites among the female-fronted bands from the U.S. Their enthralling mix of progressive and power metal combined with melodic hard rock makes it impossible to categorize this band into a neat little box. There is enough musical influence of certain genres to recognize it when you hear them, but never so much that you can instantly slap a label on it and define the music as being that particular thing. For many fans, this is the appeal of MindMaze, and what sets them apart from their contemporaries in the scene. For many fans of female-fronted metal who have grown tired of the countless symphonic-based bands, MindMaze is a breath of fresh air with a musical approach that is less classical music and more classic rock.
The year 2017 has been a productive year for the band: their third album, Resolve, was released; they embarked on a tour with Arkona and Sirenia, which brought them to their West Coast fans for the first time. Now they are about to launch a new Kickstarter project for an EP slated for release sometime next year. So I thought this would be a perfect time to review the band's lyric video for “One More Moment”, which was released a few months back.
MindMaze has some really beautiful ballads, and this song is absolutely stunning. The lyric video shows glimpses of the band playing piano, guitar, or drums, with some footage of Sarah singing the words that we see onscreen. There is also some graphic art of a face in profile, and what appears to be a withered tree in flames. I also like the way the graphics of the flames surround Jeff's guitar during its solo, making it look like his awesome guitar-playing causes flames to appear!
If you are a regular visitor to this blog, then you will probably know that this will not be the first time I have reviewed a band from Slovakia. However, it will be the first time I am reviewing a Slovakian band who is not Signum Regis, so I am looking forward to hearing what other types of talent that this country has to offer.
This Friday, I am showcasing the Slovakian power/symphonic metal outfit Anthology, who has been in existence since 2008, but experienced problems with lineup changes until vocalist Raylyn Shayde entered the fold in 2013. The first album with their new vocalist quickly gained recognition, garnering them a loyal fanbase in Japan, which has been a difficult market for femme-metal to break through. For their latest album, Anthology wanted to expand their sound, and recruited British vocalist Connor Sanders to provide some brutal male guttural vocals. Angel's Revenge saw the light of day in late 2016, and their video for the single “Last Weep” was released a few months later.
The video starts off with the band playing onstage with some pyro. I really like Raylyn's voice; she sounds a lot like Epica's Simone Simons, except I actually enjoy Anthology's music, while I am not a fan of Epica. However, like Epica, I find the male vocals to be too harsh for the music; but this is just my own personal preference. Anyway, on to the video...
Thematically, the video's concept is very typical of a power metal video: there are swords, axes, and shields; there is a woman walking with candles down a dim corridor, while the band provides a lot of hair-whipping and fire. The music sounds like something off a soundtrack to Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, so it only stands to reason that the video would touch upon similar themes. Good stuff.
For more information on Anthology, visit the band's official website.
It's been a while since I last wrote about Slovakian power metal band Signum Regis, and they've had a new video out for a couple of months that I have been meaning to write about, so let's get to it!
Right off the bat, this video reminds me of Metallica's video for “The Unforgiven”: there is an old man standing by a wall, searching for something hidden on the other side. If I didn't know any better, I would even think it was the same old man! (Except that the one in the Metallica video was ancient 25 years ago, so I would be very surprised if he were even still alive anymore, much less still actively working in music videos!)
The only slight difference (besides this video being shot in color, and not black-and-white), there are little doors in the wall, rather than an old man carving through a wall to find a door, like in “The Unforgiven”. The similarities continue when a little boy on the other side of the wall is seen dragging a chair over to the shelves lined with books and papers. Meanwhile, a younger man sorts through the papers, as they turn to dust, and sand is seen pouring out all over his clothes. On one side of the wall, the young man angrily shoves the papers away, while on the other side, the old man sits quietly and writes. Each man is seen before a mirror: the younger one looking anguished at the passage of time, the old one looking regretful yet resigned; all as the young boy looks on, and the sand in an hourglass runs down.
At this point, the boy finds an odd trinket on the ground, which seems to have some connection to the things written on the papers tacked to the wall. (OK, can I just say that the shot here of the sand running from the old man's fingers is way too similar to “The Unforgiven” for it to be coincidental? Not that this a bad thing!) The video ends with each man on his respective side of the wall, growing increasingly frustrated as they try to learn what is on the other side. Perhaps it is a good metaphor for the way parents and children—or those of different generations in general—constantly try to understand each other, but never fully succeed.
For more information on Signum Regis, visit their official website.
“Conceived when the mighty cock of heavy metal spilled its unholy seed into an active volcano”, or so the legend goes as to the origins of Baltimore-based power-thrash band Omnislash. Quite a descriptive account at any rate, the band defines themselves as “historical power thrash”, or good-old fashioned heavy metal for those of you who aren't exactly sure what all these labels mean.
After winning over audiences across Maryland and beyond with their debut album in 2015, Omnislash is back with a second offering titled Slash ’em All, which promises to be just as brutal as the first record. The music is fun, and you can tell the band is all about having a good time and never taking themselves too seriously.
Proof of that is in the band's new video for the track “Metalliation Revengeance (Slash ’em All)”, a 7-minute throwback to the good old days of MTV (they even use the same white font that famously bookended the videos, letting the viewer know what they were watching). The video is filmed at a restaurant in the Baltimore area called Crabtowne, U.S.A.; and we start off with a bad-ass metal dude slowly walking into the diner as ominous-sounding music plays in the background. He enters a rec room area, where there are wall-to-wall old-school arcade video games, pinball machines, and everything else that sparks the nostalgia of an ’80s kid. Amid the beeps and whistles of the machines, he approaches one of them, opens a flask, and starts drinking his booze through a crazy straw. He puts a quarter into the machine and proceeds to get his game on.
The graphics are pure ’80s cheesy goodness as we see that the video game is the same title as the song. The hilarity ensues when there is a jolt of electricity, and the entire band shows up as an electronic video game theme plays in the background. Soon the band jumps in and starts playing. From there it cuts to live shots of Omnislash playing onstage to an enthusiastic crowd. This is some awesome power metal (with some funky bass to boot). Back at Crabtowne, the guys in the band are riding the little electric ponies and go-karts, dancing around the room, while the bad-ass metal dude at the video game machine continues drinking his booze, completely unfazed by the shenanigans taking place. One of the guys plays his guitar solo on the toilet. Props to the drummer, who is wearing an old-school Legend of Zelda t-shirt! Back to the live shots; the band has a very enthusiastic mosh pit! These guys look like they are fun to hang out with, but at the end of the video, the guy with the booze doesn't seem very impressed with all of this. He actually wants his quarter back!
For more information on Omnislash, visit their official website.
Normally each week, I try to share a video that is fairly “hot off the presses”, or recent enough to check out while it is still new; but every now and again a video will come my way that has been out for a while, that I just have to share anyway.
Opening for bands such as Rhapsody and Dark Moor in their native México, Guadalajara's Caligatum is moving up the ranks in their local metal scene. Citing bands such as Tristania and Draconian as their musical influences, Caligatum's gothic sound and imagery really comes through in the video for their song “Dante”, which was released last year.
The video starts with a full moon and dark clouds, as a woman sits in a candle-lit room, looking over old papers with ancient writing, as a black cat curls up at her feet. The band plays in a dim setting with very minimal lighting. The woman is seen carrying some sort of cauldron, and again reading tarot cards. The exchange of “beauty and the beast” vocals between vocalist Arianna Dheva (who is rocking a very cool-looking headdress!) and the guttural male voice of guitarist Robert Noir is accompanied by imagery of the video's main female character standing in the middle of a pentagram, casting a spell. The video continues to alternate between shots of the band, and the woman standing in the mist, chanting her spell. A man shows up with a giant snake at one point, and things involving this invocation seem to take a bad turn from there! I won't give away the ending, but perhaps the phrase “be careful what you wish for” might come to mind.
For more information on Caligatum, visit their official website.
If you are a fan of The Legend of Zelda video game franchise, as I am, then the month of March is an exciting time. Breath of the Wild, the first new Zelda game for a major console in over 5 years is just days away. Another event that is just as exciting but isn't getting nearly as much press: the video premiere of “Isle of the Sky Spirits”, the first single from Master Sword's upcoming full-length debut, Shadow and Steel.
Who is Master Sword? If you are new here, then you probably don't know that I have written about them before. Master Sword is a power metal band from Maryland that pays tribute to The Legend of Zelda in their music: either by writing lyrics pertaining to Zelda lore, or composing metal versions of beloved Zelda themes. It is clear that the band has strong knowledge of the games and understands the material in ways that only the most hardcore Zelda fan could (and they can get pretty intense!). Most of all, you can hear the love and respect they have for the games and their creators. Master Sword seeks to take you on a journey through Hyrule (and all its parallel universes), encouraging listeners to step inside of Link's green tunic and live out his adventures with him.
So then, it stands to reason that for the band's first video, they want to do exactly that, and not only bring the familiar sights and sounds of the Zelda universe to fans who already love and enjoy the series, but also to share this world with the metal fanbase who may not necessarily know about Zelda or video games. It's quite a fine line to walk: you want the references to be detailed enough for the biggest fans to instantly recognize, but also simplistic enough to where the most casual observer can still follow along.
Master Sword manages to strike this balance perfectly. The video begins with a shot of waves gently lapping on the shore, and the band instantly kicks into a heavy jam of the Dragon Roost Island theme, an integral piece of music from The Wind Waker—a Zelda game whose story centers on a world submerged in water, and the few islands that rose from the flood to sustain the lives that remained.
If you have read my previous reviews about Master Sword, then you will know that their first EP featured vocal duties from several different singers, including Thrillkiller's Rob Bradley, and Nina Osegueda from A Sound of Thunder. If you know what powerful voices those two have, then you know that whoever the band chose to recruit for a full-time vocalist had to be someone who was really gonna knock your socks off, because they are a tough act to follow!
From the moment that Master Sword's frontwoman Lily Hoy opens her mouth, her voice roars out and makes it apparent that not only can she hold her own with either of the aforementioned singers, but her vocals are so powerful that the speakers on my little phone can barely handle it! She is dressed in a green ensemble of her own, and her eye makeup is painted in the design of the Sheikah tribe, the protectors of Hyrule's royal family, and keepers of the monarchy's darkest secrets. (This reference will have meaning later.)
Meanwhile, we see a hooded figure in a green tunic and the trademark Hylian Shield, and we know it is Link walking along the sandy shores. The other bandmembers are wearing pendants of the Hylian Shield to further emphasize the reference. Most of the video alternates between shots of the band performing, and quick glimpses of “Link” wielding his sword, or standing very hero-like by the shore. We never see the two parties meet, but as Link walks along, we see the bandmembers (minus Lily) standing on a hill, dressed in hooded cloaks just like the Seven Sages that guard the Sacred Realm, where Hyrule's main center of power resides: the Triforce. As the Link character approaches closer, the music turns to a more faithful rendition of the Dragon Roost Island theme; a more classical sound reminiscent of merry minstrels and wandering troubadours. When Link reaches the cloaked figures and doffs his own hood, my inner Zelda geek rejoices as I see the trademark blue Ocarina of Time. As Link takes the Ocarina and holds it to his lips, Master Sword saves the best surprise for last by making reference to the greatest Zelda plot twist in the franchise's history.
For more information on Master Sword, or to purchase Shadow and Steel, visit the band's official website.
*This review is dedicated to the memory of Zellie Blake: 1982-2010.*
“Whenever there is a meeting, a parting shall follow. But that parting needs not last forever. Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short while...that is up to you.”
I'm back this week with another band I have featured in the past. Yes, this is going to be a trend over the next couple of weeks—I promise I have new music to share—but there is a lot of great new music from quite a few of these “past guests”, and I can't pass it up.
Slovenian power metal band Signum Regis is back with new material, and they have a very cool-looking lyric video to accompany the first single, “Damnatio Ad Bestias”—which translates loosely as the act of feeding the Christians to the lions. Signum Regis makes no effort to hide that they are a Christian band, and as a fan of power metal and the storytelling style that gives the genre so much of its identity, I see their recanting of Biblical tales as no different than similar songs about mythology, fantasy, or other historical events. Power metal lyrics are steeped in such themes, so the subject matter that Signum Regis touches upon does not seem so out of place to me. As long as the lyrics can convey a sense of imagination and an ability to open up a world through song, the subject matter can be about anything, as far as I am concerned.
Musically, this song is a lot heavier, and vocally more “brutal” than the song I reviewed here previously. The vibe matches the lyrical tone of the song, which is a vivid description of the ancient form of capital punishment. As the lyrics scroll across the screen, we see animation of gladiators running for their lives as the wild animals chase them, and the crowd makes sport of their fate. “Beasts can eat our flesh, but they cannot kill our souls”, a lyric proudly proclaims. To be honest, describing a death by way of getting torn limb from limb by lions...does it get more metal than that?
For more information on Signum Regis, or to pre-order their upcoming album, Decennium Primum, visit their official website.
Although it's been a few weeks since the last time I wrote about a band previously featured here, there is a lot of great music coming out from these bands, and they are generous enough to share their music with me and to allow me to write about it. And anytime I can share good music with someone, that is an opportunity I will always take!
One of the many talented bands from Italy that I discovered last year, Overtures has a sound that would appeal to fans of Kamelot, Dream Theater, or Seventh Wonder.
In the band's latest video, the theme seems to be centered on acceptance and “fitting in” at any cost. We see three different scenes as the video progresses; each one very different, but all of them sharing this theme.
The first scene is of a woman standing at her mirror, alternating between constantly checking her cell phone and obsessively preening in front of the mirror as she puts on an abundance of makeup, fixes her hair, and takes selfies. We see a little bottle of pills among the makeup and hair products, with a label on them that looks like a Facebook thumbs-up, clearly symbolizing the girl's addiction to social media and the attention she receives. Yet through all of this, she is visibly unhappy: as she reaches into the last “dose” in her pill bottle, she goes into a panic as she searches desperately for another Like; another hit of approval. Tears streak the perfectly-applied makeup down her face as the stands there despondent, staring off into space. She succumbs to her addiction, pops the last pill, and slides to the floor in defeat.
The second scene shows three children at a desk, each of them drawing pictures of a house. Two of the children draw very run-of-the-mill, typical childish depictions of a house, while the third child presents an elaborate, artistic reproduction of a lovely mansion. His picture is rejected, crumpled into a ball, while the other two children's pictures are praised, as they stand in front of the class proudly holding up their pictures and showing off their sameness.
The third scene, and one which is shown more subtly (yet is clearly the darkest) is of a priest at the pulpit, while a woman stands before him with money in her mouth, as if taking communion, symbolizing the desperation to enter the kingdom of heaven by giving away one's self-worth. At the end of the video, we see a crumpled-up bill in her wallet, leaving us to wonder if she has found her worth after all.
For more information on Overtures, visit their official website.
When I started this weekly feature earlier this year, it was truly on a whim: a friend posted a video on her Facebook wall, and I liked it. I hear a lot of music that I like, but for some reason, the spark of an idea came to me from watching the video that I should start giving more attention to this blog and start showcasing a lot of the music that comes my way as a writer for two metal music-based sites. I have really come to enjoy looking for new videos to share here each week: sometimes I had an ample list of bands waiting to be shared for weeks in advance; and then there were other times when nothing reached my desk, thus prompting me to go out there and seek even further. But no matter whether it was a new discovery or a band I had liked for a long time, it became a pleasure to log in to this blog every Wednesday and share something with all of you.
So, as the year comes to a close and I reach my final weekly installment of 2016, what is the best way to put a cap on it and send it off into 2017? I think one good way is to pay tribute to a particular recurring theme that has—completely unintentionally—become another fun aspect of writing these weekly entries. Over the last 8 months since I began this feature in early April, the abundance of music from Italy that kept finding its way here every Wednesday was something of which I could not help but take notice. Whether it was symphonic metal, power metal, or progressive metal—Italy has been bringing levels of quality music to the metal scene that cannot be denied. Therefore it is only fitting that my final Hump Day Hot Ticket entry of 2016 takes us back to Italy one more time.
This week, I introduce you to Last Union: not only a band from Italy, but a well-rounded supergroup consisting of respected musicians from other parts of the world. Like fellow Italian band Secret Rule (whom I have featured here twice before), Last Union calls upon some of the most esteemed names in the power and progressive metal scene, and creates kick-ass music that keeps the genre alive and well. Featuring ex-Helloween drummer Uli Kusch and Symphony X bassist Mike LePond, Last Union's melodic metal style takes the best of what prog and power metal have to offer, with some lovely female vocals on top.
For the band's first single (and the video I am reviewing), “President Evil”, Last Union levels up their supergroup status in a huge way and enlists the talents of none other than Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie. This merger is what caught my attention towards Last Union, and piqued my curiosity to hear what this band was about, as I am a huge Dream Theater fan (remember that “musical holy trinity” I wrote about a few weeks back?), and I love LaBrie's voice. So naturally, I had to hear this.
Musically, this is a heavy track that highlights LaBrie's more “aggressive” vocal style, which fits the lyrical content perfectly. This is a lyric video, so we see a lot of imagery set to the song's lyrics, such as graphics of a dollar bill or newspaper headlines reworked to feature a line from the song. Many could read into the lyrics to have relevance to the current political state in the U.S. right now, with lines such as “President slowly goes insane”, “give the world a star to fool with your business and playing the solemn game”, or “stare at your scenery...leader, make up your mind”, or “preaching for tomorrow, lacking for today...questioning contacts, dark speeches are running out of time”. However, because this is not a political blog, I will make no commentary one way or the other, as it is not my place to tell anyone how they should interpret lyrics or what one's relationship to music should be. That is what makes music wonderful, after all: we each hear the same thing, but no two people listen identically.
For more information on Last Union, or to purchase their debut album, Most Beautiful Day, visit the band's official website.
As a metalhead, it's probably isn't considered “cool” for me to admit I wear any other color than black, celebrate any other holiday than Halloween, or listen to “festive” music...but I admit that I love Christmastime. I love the bright lights, the home-cooked goodies, the overall spirit of the holiday season...and I absolutely love Christmas music. I love decorating my house with all the sentimental treasures I have accumulated over the years, as I listen to my personal collection of seasonal tunes, which has also amassed over time.
That being said, it probably comes as no surprise that I especially love when the worlds of metal and holiday music join together at this time of year. The end results can sometimes be impressive—such as the music of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, undoubtedly the most commercially successful example of metal holiday music. Or the combination could lead to disaster, such as the countless forgettable Christmas tunes that metal bands occasionally cash in on to make a quick buck. More often than not, I find these efforts create a happy medium, where it will not necessarily prompt these bands to change genre, but the music stands up well enough to provide a winter-time soundtrack for their fans as they return to these songs year after year as part of their own holiday tradition.
However, one band who is taking a cue from the template set by Trans-Siberian Orchestra is Orion's Reign, from Greece. Like TSO, the majority of their music is seasonal, with a bombastic power metal sound which works surprisingly well for both merry ditties as well as solemn hymns. Orion's Reign also dabbles in the occasional cover song from time to time; but unlike TSO—who have crafted original holiday material—they stick to those tried-and-true Christmas favorites that we all know and love, and put a little extra metal for just the right amount of spice.
But just because a band chooses to go with the classics instead of creating more Christmas songs for us to learn, does not mean that the music has to sound predictable and boring. In fact, what I love about Orion's Reign is their ability to have fun with these songs we have heard a million times over, and make them sound interesting. Take a song like “Jingle Bells” (the video featured here)—we have heard that song done so many times that there can't possibly be a way to make it new again—but Orion's Reign enlists the help of Norwegian vocalist Minniva Børresen, and creates this lush, symphonic earworm that gets your toes tapping before you realize what has happened!
The video itself is also cheery and light-hearted: the band rocks out in the middle of a wooded area, while Minniva and male vocalist Dan Vasc trade off operatic vocals in a jubilant sing-off for the ages. There is even time for a mad guitar solo. If that doesn't put you in a joyful mood, then you're probably gonna get a visit from a few ghosts on Christmas Eve. Just sayin'.
For more information on Orion's Reign, or to hear more of their Christmas music, visit the band's official website.
I come across a lot of interesting music looking for new entries for this feature. This week my musical travels take me all the way to Slovakia, home of power-metal band Signum Regis, who have been around for nearly a decade. Some websites suggest that they are a Christian band—I know, some of you are already envisioning those Stryper gigs from the ’80s, where the band is throwing out Bibles to the audience—but hey, I'm not about to let labels or preconceived notions get in the way of enjoying good music, so why should you? And what is wrong with a band wanting to use music to spread their good message? Plenty of other bands do it by way of socio-political means, and I've got nothing against that either. In fact, one of the first power metal bands I ever heard was Ohio's Jacob's Dream, an openly Christian band who wrote songs based on Biblical epics the same way that other bands in their genre use mythology or fantasy. So I am certainly not offput by a band who wishes to infuse religious imagery into their music.
Speaking of the ’80s, I grew up a quintessential ’80s kid, in that I had my butt parked in front of the television, watching MTV like every other kid (my mom even says that as a child, I watched MTV more than cartoons, and if you know my love of ’80s cartoons, that's saying a lot!). So, when watching videos as a kid, I became particularly fond of the “mini-movie” video format—the type of video that told a little story during the song. Sometimes those videos re-enacted the message of the song perfectly; other times the story seemed to have nothing to do with the song, but it was always interesting to see the kinds of stories that could be told in 3-4 minutes. In fact, when listening to music, it became part of your psyche to imagine what a video for that song would look like, and the disappointment you sometimes felt when the actual video was nothing like you'd pictured at all!
On to the Signum Regis video. The band is rocking out in a jail cell, while the camera cuts to a man in another cell. He appears to be a boxer or MMA fighter of some kind. As the video proceeds, we see him in a match while a seedy bookie is off to the side of the ring, collecting bets. Clearly the fight is fixed. While contemplating his loss, he meets a young lady. As their courtship progresses, they are seen walking together, when the crooked bookie and one of his fighters proceed to assault him and the girl. In defending her honor, he ends up going to jail, where we see his single-minded devotion in returning to his girl, who may or may not be waiting for him. Without giving away the complete ending, let's just say that she was waiting for him, but she was not alone!
Musically, the band has a fantastic power metal sound; some elements of their sound reminded me of Seventh Wonder, who might be considered more prog-metal, but like I said, labels really don't matter much to me. The band's vocalist has a voice that is a little more gravelly or rough-around-the-edges than your standard power metal vocalist, but I think he sounds great. This video is a little over a year old, so I look forward to checking out more of their music and hopefully sharing it here!
For more information on Signum Regis, visit their official website.
If you have been following this blog regularly, then you have probably noticed that Italy has appeared on my radar quite a bit as of late; so it should come as no surprise to you that this week I am showcasing yet another Italian band. However, it isn't because I have some sort of fascination with Italy or a bias towards Italian bands—but if I think music is good, I am going to share it, regardless of where it originates. This week I'm going to talk about a power/prog-metal outfit from Italy called DGM, who have been around in various incarnations since the mid-1990s.
Now, even though I write a lot about music both here and in other places, it stands to reason that you aren't going to hear everything that's out there; not even the more popular bands in your preferred genre. When you listen to as much music as I do, and are constantly being sent material from bands all over the world, it becomes very easy to overlook a lot of what else is happening on the scene. One band that I regretfully admit I have been “late to the party” about is Evergrey, a well-respected band on the scene. I had heard bits and pieces of a song or two over the years, but never enough to determine whether it was anything I might be interested in. Then a few weeks ago I heard a song on one of my favorite internet radio stations and decided it was about time I get acquainted with this band.
So, you are probably asking, what does this have to do with DGM? Well, beside the fact that both are bands I am just getting familiar with, they have both collaborated together on this video I am about to share with you. Evergrey's vocalist, Tom Englund, has provided guest vocals on the track “Ghost of Insanity”, which will be on the upcoming DGM album, The Passage.
Since this is a “lyric video” (for all you older folks unfamiliar with this term, it is basically a music video where instead of seeing a band performance or a story, you read the song lyrics as they appear on the screen; sometimes with cool graphics or imagery), there is not much to see by way of the actual video. But the music does the talking loud and clear—the voices of Tom Englund and DGM vocalist Mark Basile complement each other wonderfully. Both have strong voices, but neither overpowers the other, and they each blend into their parts so seamlessly that either could take on the other's vocal role and nothing would be lost in the transition. Musically, it's both heavy and melodic, without too much overblown pomp and circumstance that both prog and power metal can be guilty of at times.
DGM's album The Passage is available on August 26th via Frontiers Records. For more information about DGM, visit their official website.
